The cover sheet of the favorable decision says that the Appeals Council may review the decision “on its own motion.” What does this mean?
In a very small number of cases the Appeals Council in Falls Church, Virginia, will decide on its own to take away benefits awarded by the decision of the administrative law judge. If it is going to do this, the Appeals Council will almost always send you a notice within 60 days of the date of the judge’s decision. (In an extremely small number of cases the Appeals Council will reverse a decision after the 60 days have run.) This is rare, so it is unlikely that the Appeals Council will do this in your case; but if it happens you will have to work out with your attorney how to deal with it.
